Acclaimed Sri Lankan Director, Vimukthi Jayasundara, Kicks off New Film Project
Prominent Sri Lankan film director, Vimukthi Jayasundara, has launched the primary photography for his up-and-coming motion picture, “Turtle’s Gaze on Spying Stars”. Jayasundara, who is renowned for his film “The Forsaken Land,” bagged the coveted Camera d’Or at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2005.
This forthcoming film involves the collaboration with one of India’s established producers, Nila Madhab Panda. Panda joined forces with Jayasundara to deliver one of Nidhi Saxena’s riveting works titled “Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman”. This film is currently making its global premiere at the notable Busan International Film Festival this week.
The filming of “Turtle’s Gaze on Spying Stars” is taking place within the vicinity of central Sri Lanka’s hilly areas. This futuristic tale encapsulates a society beleaguered by a cryptic pandemic, provoked by humanity’s over-reliance on technology. The lead character, a refugee returning to Sri Lanka, finds himself forced into a valley resort transformed into a quarantine center. Here, echoes of his past life in Sri Lanka begin to emerge. Instead of inciting fear, which is the facility’s plan, these remembrances yield an entirely different outcome. He begins to cultivate feelings of love and empathy through encounters with strangers.
The production of this film features an array of global contributors. Notable producers include Panda himself, Vincent Wang, and Fred Bellaiche from the Paris-based House on Fire, known for films such as “Whether the Weather is Fine,” in association with Sri Lanka’s Film Council Productions. There is also the added contribution of France’s Le Studio Orlando (“Plan 75”) as the co-producer. The film has attained financial support from multiple organizations, such as Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund + Europe, France’s CNC – Aide aux Cinemas du Monde fund, and Taiwan Creative Content Agency’s (TAICCA) Taiwan International Co-funding Program.
A Spotlight on Vimukthi Jayasundara’s Work
Throughout his career, Jayasundara’s films have consistently made their way to top-tier festivals. Following his successful debut with the Camera d’Or-winning film, his other works such as “Between Two Worlds” (2009), “Mushrooms” (2011), “Dark in the White Light” (2015), and anthology film “Her. Him. The Other” (2018) have continued to enchant viewers and critics alike.
Known for his climate change-centered films, Panda shared his excitement about the project, remarking, “The future is right here. It’s magical to be at the film set of Vimukthi and witness his poetic storytelling manifesting itself. I was drawn to collaborate with his latest project for its mystical themes of humans vs nature, the themes closer to me, and this is the kind of cinema I want to be a part of and the world to see.”
FAQs
Q: Who is Vimukthi Jayasundara?
A: Jayasundara is a renowned Sri Lankan film director known for his film “The Forsaken Land,” which won the Camera d’Or at Cannes Film Festival in 2005.
Q: What is the storyline of “Turtle’s Gaze on Spying Stars”?
A: The narrative centers around a refugee returning to Sri Lanka who gets quarantined in a resort turned isolation center. Here, the character undergoes internal changes as they confront their past and form connections with strangers.
Q: Who are the producers of the film?
A: The film is being produced by Nila Madhab Panda, an esteemed Indian producer, along with Vincent Wang and Fred Bellaiche from the Paris-based House on Fire, in collaboration with Sri Lanka’s Film Council Productions. France’s Le Studio Orlando is co-producing the film.
Credit: variety.com
